Automobile lock



0. S. HERSHEY.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.3I, 1921.

Patented ont. 31, 1922.

i walls of the column.

raient on.A 31, i922.,

Urrea @STATES 1,433,548 PATENTv onirica.

DEVILLE S. HERSEEY, 0F STOUGHTON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HERSHEY MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, 0F DENVER., COLORADO, A CORPORATION 0F COLORADO.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

.Application mcd January 8E, i921. Serial No. 141,156.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ORvILIn S. Hausnr, a citizen of the United States, residin at Stou hton, in the county'fvof Dane and tate of .'isconsin, haveinvented certain Vnew and useiul Improvements in .Automobilev Locks,of which the following is a specification.

llhis invention relates to improvements in automobile locks, and more particularly to locks of the type'that are associated with. the

steering columnvof a motor driven vehicle to secure against rotation the post extending therethrough which connects with the steer in wheels.

t is a primary object of my invention to provide a lock of simple, practical and eii. cient construction which may be contained within a housing that surrounds 'the' steering column of an automobile, and, if desired, be secured to the dash or instrument board thereof. Other objects as well will. hereinafter appear in the description and claims to follow, wherein this invention is represented as consisting of a certain construction and arrangement of parts of which one'exemplificatioii is shown inthe accompanying drawin s in the manner following: l

igure 1 is a transverse `section taken on line 1--1 of Fig. `3, illustrating the present lock within its associated housing, the parts showing the steering postas held against rotation Fig. 2 is a .view similar to Fig. 1, excepting that the 4parts are here shown in iinlock in position;

ig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken `on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fi d is a detail in perspective of the link whic connectsthe hasp to the operating shaft.

The lock shown in the drawing is contained 'within a housing A adapted for mounting upon the column B of an automobile steering mechanism. -Within the column is the usual steering post C, here repre-,

sented as a tube, and s aced away from the the region of the lock, a collar'l) is secured fast to the post, there being a longitudinal roove 5 formed in thecollar. Since the co lar is associated with the post primarily to facilitate construction, and is toA all intents and purposes a part thereof it will be so treated in the description and claims to follow.

Within the housiii is a bore for the reception` of a shaft 6 'which is provided with an operatin lever 7, and formed in the shaftisan ann ar-groove 8 having a longitudinal curvature that iis-concentric with the curvature of the steerin post, the operating shaft pactly related, and a means'be provided for holding the shaft against endwise movement. At one point in the shaft is a transverse `laneoit thisslot, designated 'as 11, thereby ecoming an eccentric. 4By preference the slot 1() is so formedv as to provide a ilat surface 12 which lies in substantially diametricalrelation to the shaft. Co-operating with this slot is a link 13 (see Fig. 4.) having at one end an opening 14 within which the ec. centric 11 ma lie, the housing being prolot 10 extending approximately to its center, he remaining portion ofthe shaftV in the vided with a c amber 15 in which this link is received. The o enin "14 iswpireferably formed with one atei e lfroin whichrex- 'tend "parallel'sides 17 whichcurve towardeach other to provide an arch 18, the opening so formed being specially suitable for co-operation with the eccentric in a manner which will hereinafter be set forth.

As b means of a pintle 19/the link -is pivotal y mounted ad acont one end of a hollow member E which may be termed a hasp. The end of this hasp which is 'opposite the link is lpreferably formed with a shoulder 20 whic underlies a second shoul. der 21 that isformed upon the housing A,

these two shoulders co-operating to form in enact a hook connection. The end of the hasp to which the link is connected is' adapted to swing away from the housing A around the hook connection as a'centei, and means are provided for normally urging the hasp to open position' which may comprise the following:

Extendin laterally from the housing A into the enc osure provided b the hasp is a' circular `wail 22 within whic is a slidable bolt 23 having an acting end 24 adapted to enter the groove 5 of the collar D to lock the steering post against rotation. Formed at the opposite end, ct this bolt is an outwardly extending shoulder 25 which overlies a circular plate or washer 26, and a coiled spring 27 whose opposite end is pressed against the housing A to normally hold the bolt 23 away from the steering post. Surrounding this spring is a sleeve` 28 which is inturned as at 29 to provide a shoulder which overlies the plate or washer 26, the sleeve being upwardly extended therebeyond to form anextension 30 over which is fixedly arranged a cap 31.

Between the cap and bolt 23 is a second coiled spring 32,V weaker than the other spring 27 but tending at all times to project the bolt 23 toward the steering post, and to cause thesa-me to engage therewith whenever the hasp is moved to closed osition. The assembly of parts just descri ed provides a locking i means adapted to hold the steering post ing to the `number of positions in which it is desired rthat the operating shaft shall be locked. Obviously when the shaft islocked,

' it may not be rotated, except by the applica.-

tion of a proper key to the lock to first withdraw the disk 36 from engagement with the shaft.

Referring again to the link connection between the operating shaft and hasp, I would have it noted that when the steering mechanismv is unlocked, the parts are related about as shown in Fig. 2. It will here be observed that the flat side 12 of the eccentric is in contact with the flat side 16 of the link aperture, and inthis position the shaft will tend vto remain due to the pull upon the link which is occasioned through the action of the spring 27 which urges the hasp to open position.

The construction herein shown represents a simple assembly which may be securely mounted within a housing so as to be protected to the fullest degree. This housing may be mounted upon the steering column in any desired manner, or, if preferred, ma be anchore'd to the dash or instrument boarr or elsewhere.

In Fig. 3 I have also shown a ball 40 adapted to vlie partially within a socket formed in the shaft 6, the ball co-operatin with a pin 41 which connects with-a switc not shown to break the ignition circuit. further escription of these parts is not vdeemed necessary, since it may follow the general construction ,shown in -my pendin application Serial No. 426,894. g

I claim:

1. A device of the kind described, comprising a housing adapted for attachment to an automobile steering column and having an opening to receive a locking bolt, a hasp pivoted on the housing, a locking bolt ada ted to be projected inwardly throught e opening in the housing by movement of the hasp, a key controlled operating shaft, and a link connection between the shaft and the hasp adapted to normally pre\ vent opening of the latter, substantially as described.

2; A device of the kind'described, comprising a housing adapted for attachment to an automobile steering column, an operating shaft rotatable therein and provided withI an eccentric, a hasp pivoted tothe housing, a spring held locking bolt mounted in the housing adapted to be projected inwardly thereof by movement of the hasp, and a link connection between the hasp and the shaft eccentric adapted to draw the former towardv the housing when the shaft is rotated to a selected position, substantially as described.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a housing adapted for attachment to an automobile steering column, a shaft rotatably mounted therein provided with an eccentric and havin for exteriorly of t e housing, there bein a slit within the housing, a key-control ed lock mounted within the housing, a disk eccentrically carried b the lock and ada ted ,to enter the slit in t e shaft when the ock 1s 1n a selected rotative position, a spring held locking bolt mounted inthe housing, means movably arranged upon the housing adapted to project the bolt into locking position when said movable` means is drawn toward the housing, a link connecting said means with the shaft eccentric adapted to draw sald' means toward the housing' when the shaft 1s turned to a selected rotative posltion, substantially as described.

4. A device of the kind described, comlprisin'g a housing adapted for attachment to an automobile steering column, a spring held lookin bolt mounted in the housing, a shaft rotata ly mounted in the housing provlded with an eccentric having one flat side, means carried bv the housin ada ted to project the` locking bolt inwar y, an a link oo nnectin said means with the shaft eccentric, the link being provided with an open- .ing havin one flat side adapted to engage with the at side of the eccentric onl when said means 1s so positioned that the locking Ybolt is projected outwardly from the housing, substantially as described.

@A device of the kind described, comprismg a housing adapted for attachment to an automobile steering column, a lockoperating means thereing bolt adapted to be projected inwardly project the locking bolt into operative position and to limit the movement of said 10 means away from the housing, substantially as described.

oRvILLE s. HERsi-IEY..

Witness EPHRAIM BANNING. 

